Body supporting garment



Oct. 21, 1952 A. H. SEARLES 2,614,256

BODY SUPPORTING GARMENT Filed July 29, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 1:. I I i. l

IN VEN TOR.

4 BYQMMK A 7701? NE Y.

Oct. 21, 19 A. H. SEARLES BODY SUPPORTING GARMENT 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed July 29, 1949 INVENTOR.

5 w r m 6 W a 'ATFOR/VE).

Patented et. 21, 1952 UNITED STATES BODY SUPPOBTING. GARMENT Albert H. Searles; Kalamazoo, Mich, assignor to-v Grace Corset Company, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Application July 29, 1949,v Serial No. 1073534 3, Claims.

1 Thisinvention relates toimprovements in body supporting garments such as corsets, abdominal supports, brassieres, garter belts, girdles, foundation garments and the, like.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to providea body garment of the corset. foundation garment, abdominal support, brassiere, girdle, garter belt, and the like, in which the front portion isprovided with effective supporting boning, at the same time providing a maximum of comfort and freedom of movement for the wearer.

Second, to provide a body garment of this type which may beproduced at relatively low cost.

Third, to provide a body garment of the class indicated having cross boning providing an effective support with all excessive strain either on parts: of the garment or on the wearer.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to. follow. The invention is pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a body garmen-tembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in horizontal section on a line corresponding to line Z--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view with parts broken away and in section to show structural details.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on a line corresponding to line 4- 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational, view of a somewhat modified form or embodiment of my invention, the part being broken away to show structural details.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of still another modification or embodiment of my invention- The embodiment of my invention illustrated in. Fig} 1 comprises a back portion l, side portions, 2,-2, these side portions being of elastic material, and a front portioncomplementing the side and, back portions. The back and side portions illustrated are or may be conventional.

The front portion comprises an inner front panel 4 fixedly secured along one vertical edge 5 to the front edge of one side portion and detachably secured to the front edge of the other side portion as is indicated by detachable fastenings 6 shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. These fastenings may be of a conventional or of known 2 types. The front panel 4 is provided with. a central AV-shaped notch extending from lower end: and filled with the elastic gusset. 1. The lower edge, of the panel 4' and the edges-of-the notch thereof, are provided with bindings 8 and9.

The boning panels I llare disposedoutwardlyof the, inner panel 4 and in overlapping relation thereto as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and are secured attheir outer vertical edges-tothe inner panel 4. and are disposed with substantial inner portions I'l thereofin overlapping relation. The edges of these boning panels ar secured together by the continuous binding i2 while their upper edges are secured at l3 to the upper edge: of the inner panel a. The lower edges of the; boning panels are desirably substantially spaced fromthe lower edge of the inner panel 4. The boning panels are free for independent movement relative tov each other except as connected by; their bottom and top edge, connections l2 and I3.

The boning panels are provided With-"aphirality of parallel boning pockets I4 arranged in a vertically inclined relation with the boning pockets of: one boning; panelin diagonal crossing relation to those. ofthe other panel as, is clearly shown in. the drawing. The panel pockets are provided with suitable boning elements-1'5... It will be noted by reference to Figs. 1 and 3'that the boning elements l5 generally of one'panel. H! are disposed on approximately the same level Withthe-leveliof. the elements |-5-generally of'the other panel, Ill. It. will be understood that/ruse thetermboning inits generic sense and as generally used in the industry, that is, thestiffening elements-maybe of steel,b.one,-wire orother'suitableresilient stiffening material. I

In the embodiment shown'in Fig. 1. the boning pockets, of each boning panel are in parallel spaced relation.- Hi. the embodiment shown. in Fig. 5 thev boning pockets. I16 are double pocket type, that. is, they are formed of material'ofa width to providetwo;pocketsseparated by rows of stitches l'i centrally thereof; Inxthe'emboidiment shown inFig. 6; the pockets [8 are of. the. triple typewhile the pockets: lil'are of the double type.

.Inall; of these. embodiments the overlapping por- 3 With applicants invention the double boning panels may be very easily and economically produced and easily and economically assembled in the garment. In addition to that the structure while providing an effective support affords a high degree of comfort to the wearer also the garment is very durable inasmuch as the strain on the parts is minimized.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in a highly practical commercial embodiments thereof. 1 have not attempted to illustrate the embodiment of my invention in various types and styles of body garments such as brassires, garter belts, girdles; front and back lace corsets and the like, as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A body garment of the class described comprising rear, and side portions and a complementary front portion, said side portions having vertical front edges, the front portion comprising an inner panel having upper and bottom edges and vertical side edges, one of said vertical side edges of the inner panel being detachably joined 'to a vertical front edge of one side portion, a

pair of boning panels disposed outwardly of and in overlapping relation to said inner front panel and having outer vertical edges connected to the vertical side edges of the inner panel, said boning panels having inner edge portions disposed in overlapping relation to each other centrally of the inner panel and having upwardly inclined inner edges disposed in crossing relation to each other, the upper edges of the boning panels being secured to the upper edge of the inner front panel and the lower edges of the boning panels being secured together and being substantially spaced from the bottom edge of the inner front panel, the overlapping portions of the boning panels being independently movable relative to each other except as restrained by the said top and bottom connections therefor, said boning panels having a plurality of diagonally disposed pockets, the boning elements of one boning panel being in diagonally crossed lapping relation to the boning elements of the other boning panel, the upper end portions of the boning elements of one boning panel being disposed generally on approximately the same level with that of the upper end portions of the boning elements of the other boning panel, and the lower end portions of the boning elements of one boning panel being disposed generally on approximately the same level with that of the lower end portions of the boning elements of the other boning panel.

2. A body garment of the class described comprising rear, and side portions and a complementary front portion, said side portions having vertical front edges, the front portion comprising an inner panel having upper and bottom edges and vertical side edges, a pair of boning panels disposed outwardly of and in overlapping relation to said inner front panel and having outer vertical edges connected to the vertical side edges of the inner panel, said boning panels having inner edge portions disposed in overlapping relation to each other, the upper edges of the boning panels being secured to the upper edge of the inner front panel and the lower edges of the boning panels being secured together and being substantially spaced from the bottom edge of the inner front panel, the overlapping portions of the boning panels being independently movable relative to each other except as restrained by the said top and bottom connections therefor, said boning panels having a plurality of diagonally disposed parallel boning pockets, and resilient boning elements disposed in said pockets, the boning elements of one boning panel being in diagonally crossed lapping relation to the boning elements of the other boning panel, the upper end portions of the boning elements of one boning panel being disposed generally on approximately the same level with that of the upper end portions of the boning elements of the other boning panel, and the lower end portions of the boning elements of one boning panel being disposed generally on approximately the same level with that of the lower end portions of the boning elements of the other boning panel.

3. In a body garment of the class described, rear, side and front portions, the front portion comprising a pair of boning panels connected at their outer vertical edges to the side portions, said boning panels having crossing inclined inner edges disposed between said outer vertical edges and extending between the upper and lower edges of the boning panels, each boning panel having a plurality of parallel boning pockets and boning elements in said pockets, the boning pockets and boning elements of one panel crossing the boning pockets and boning elements of the other panel, one of said boning pockets and a, boning element therein of each boning panel being disposed parallel to and adjacent the inner edge of the panel, the inner edge portions of the overlapping boning panels adjacent said inner edges and intermediate the top and bottom edge of the panels being free to move relative to each other, the boning elements generally of one boning panel being disposed approximately on the same level with the level of the boning elements generally of the other boning panel.

ALBERT H. SEARLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,524,533 Gutschow Jan. 27, 1925 1,978,092 Leonard Oct. 23, 1934 1,993,671 Kahn Mar. 5, 1935 2,137,163 Imershein Nov. 15, 1938 2,168,009 Van Praag Aug. 1, 1939 2,309,501 Cohen Jan. 26, 1943 2,526,360 Johnson Oct. 17, 1950 

